Badgers centres around the mysterious disappearance of folk musician Ben which is investigated a decade after it happened by podcaster Meles Costas.
Meles’ mother is terminally-ill after living a very successful life as a campaigning journalist. The daughter feels she is living in the shadow of her mum’s big achievements but sees the opportunity to achieve something herself by pivoting her failing ‘Coffee Shop Conservations’ podcast into a true crime adventure.
This would have been an intruiging story on its own but the play adds an extra element by casting the audience as Meles.
Through clever use of audio and digital screens plus wonderful storytelling from writer and performer Malaika Kegode, we are Meles as she comes across Bridget Brock, the missing singer’s landlady who is viewed locally as a witch.
Mixing true crime with gothic folklore, the show, a Theatre Royal Plymouth production in association with Bristol Old Vic, explains how the podcaster seeks to work out if Ben was cursed by Bridget for stealing her song or was in fact turned into a badger.
The other two people on stage are Joe Williams and Beth Roberts from prog-folk band Jakabol. Sat in a sound booth, they perform beautiful music that makes the play incredibly immersive, eerie and emotional.
Badgers is a brilliant and clever show. We loved Outlier, a previous production from the team, and they’ve delivered again with Badgers. Highly recommended.
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Badgers is at Bristol Old Vic until 12 September
